Seattle metro area drivers are experiencing heightened traffic congestion this year, with the average commuter losing nearly three days annually in gridlock, according to new data from INRIX, a transportation data and analytics company.
Seattle ranks as the tenth most congested city in the United States based on the analysis.
Drivers spent an average of 68 hours in traffic during the current year, an increase from 63 hours in 2024. The worst year for regional traffic congestion was 2019, when commuters lost approximately 74 hours to delays.
The northbound Interstate 405 stretch between Renton and the Interstate 90 interchange represents the most congested corridor in the region, according to INRIX findings. Peak congestion on this interchange occurs at 8 a.m., when traffic volumes reach their daily maximum.
“405 is more consistently bad. Just any time of day, all the time,” said Kelly Kim, a Bellevue resident who regularly navigates the corridor.
Ongoing construction on Interstate 405 likely contributes to extended gridlock times. The infrastructure work has reduced available lanes and created bottlenecks that compound existing congestion issues during peak commute periods.
Major employers have implemented return-to-office policies that increase weekday traffic volumes. Amazon enforced a five-day weekly in-office mandate this year, while Microsoft requires employees to work from office locations three days weekly. These policies have returned thousands of workers to roads who had been working remotely during and after the pandemic.
The financial impact of traffic congestion proves substantial. INRIX estimates that being stuck in traffic costs individual drivers approximately $1,252 annually when accounting for wasted fuel, lost productivity, and vehicle wear from extended idling.
The 68-hour annual average translates to roughly 1.3 hours per week spent in congestion for typical Seattle commuters. This figure represents time beyond normal free-flow travel, meaning the actual time spent commuting is considerably higher when including baseline travel time.
Seattle’s tenth-place national ranking reflects congestion levels approaching those of larger metropolitan areas. Cities ranking higher typically have greater populations and more complex freeway systems, making Seattle’s placement notable given its relatively smaller size compared to metros like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
The Interstate 405 corridor has long challenged regional transportation planners. The highway serves as a critical link between Eastside communities and job centers, carrying commuters from Renton, Tukwila, Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, and other cities. Peak hour traffic regularly exceeds the roadway’s designed capacity.
The Renton to Interstate 90 segment experiences particular congestion because it functions as a chokepoint where multiple traffic streams converge. Southbound Interstate 405 traffic merges with vehicles entering from Interstate 90 traveling both east and west, creating complex weaving patterns that slow overall flow.
The 8 a.m. peak reflects typical morning commute patterns, with workers traveling to Bellevue, Redmond, and Seattle employment centers. Evening congestion also occurs but tends to be more dispersed across the 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. window as departure times vary more than arrivals.
Construction impacts on Interstate 405 stem from ongoing expansion and improvement projects. The Washington State Department of Transportation has undertaken multiple initiatives to add capacity and reduce bottlenecks, but construction necessarily disrupts traffic during implementation.
Express toll lanes on portions of Interstate 405 provide options for drivers willing to pay variable rates for faster travel. However, general purpose lanes remain congested as many commuters opt not to pay tolls or lack access to electronic payment systems required for express lane use.
The pandemic-era reduction in traffic proved temporary. Initial predictions that remote work would permanently reduce congestion have not materialized as employers increasingly require office presence. The return to pre-pandemic commute patterns, combined with continued population and employment growth, has restored historical congestion levels.
The $1,252 annual cost per driver represents only direct individual expenses. Broader economic impacts include reduced business productivity, increased logistics costs for goods movement, and environmental effects from vehicles idling in traffic producing emissions without making progress toward destinations.
INRIX methodology for calculating congestion hours compares actual travel times against free-flow baseline speeds. Time spent traveling slower than typical uncongested speeds counts toward the congestion total, whether vehicles are completely stopped or simply moving below normal highway speeds.
The 2019 peak of 74 hours suggests that current congestion, while significant, remains below the worst historical levels. This may indicate that some pandemic-era changes, including flexible work arrangements at companies allowing partial remote work, have modestly reduced overall traffic volumes compared to pre-pandemic peaks.
Regional transportation officials face challenging tradeoffs between expanding roadway capacity, which can induce additional driving, and investing in transit alternatives that require years to implement and may not serve all origin-destination pairs effectively.
